Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines
Welcome to the Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines
Destination Guides
Archives
On the tapas trail in Malaga
Searching for the original Spanish finger food, Paul Townsend tries out the Andalusian cuisine of Malaga’s best tapas bars. It’s a tough job…
As much a part of southern Spanish culture as flamenco, the tradition of tapas dates back hundreds of years. Its origins have been disputed, but the common consensus is that it originated in Andalucia. The word ‘tapas’ means a cover or lid and it is often suggested that the habit of serving these small dishes with drinks was born when tavernas around Jerez started placing pieces of bread or ham over glasses of sherry to keep the fruit flies out.
This practical measure gradually evolved as toppings were added to the bread, and the practice soon spread throughout the country. Nowadays it’s an integral part of the country’s cuisine. The robustly egalitarian nature of tapas, which sees everyone tucking in to several shared dishes of food rather than being restricted to one neat little portion apiece, is perfectly suited to the sociable Spanish way of eating.
Just as each region in Spain has its own distinct culinary vernacular, so too does it have its own type of tapas. Andalusian tapas bears the indelible mark of Moorish occupation, so expect lots of fragrant flavours, North African spices, almonds and olives. There are also regional oddities in the way tapas is served, so in some parts of Andalucia you can expect to get a free snack with each drink. Andalusian tapas can also be served in larger portions – a media ración, which is roughly equivalent to half a plate of food, or a ración, equivalent to a whole one.
And there’s no better place to enjoy Andalusian-style tapas than on the winding streets of Malaga. This city is perched on Spain’s southern coast and enjoys all the gastronomic advantages that go with it, namely the easy availability of fresh fish and seafood. Fish lovers should head to the chiringuitos (beach bars) along the seafront. They serve the best espetos de sardines – sardines grilled over hot coals.
Despite the fact that Malagan menus are heavily influenced by the city’s ready supply of fish, they aren’t dominated by mariscos (seafood). A healthy quota is given over to meat-based dishes like rabo de buey (oxtail in a sweet wine sauce) and caracoles con ajo (snails in garlic butter).
Malagan cuisine is a fairly broad church and the best way to experience it is to eat Spanish style, which means bar hopping from place to place, trying one type of tapas at each. The Spanish call this ir de tapas (literally ‘going for tapas’). Begin your tapas tour on the Pasaje de Chinitas. Go into any bar here and on top of the counter you’ll see the display chillers full of tapas. Prices will start from as little as €1 or €2.
Tucked away by the cathedral, El Chinitas (4-6 Calle Moreno Monroy, tel. ) can count poet Federico García Lorca among its former customers. The tapas menu here is long and wide-ranging, but the berenjenas con miel (aubergines that have been grilled or shallow fried and covered in honey) are an absolute must. Nearby, Café Central (11 Plaza de la Costitución, tel. ) does excellent seafood tapas. Try the pulpo frito – deep fried octopus with salt and a touch of vinegar.
Continue walking along Calle Marques de Larios, bearing right as the street narrows and merges into Calle Granada. On your right you’ll find El Pimpi (62 Calle Granada, tel. ).
A favourite with the likes of Antonio Banderas and Pedro Almodóvar, the bar is more of a traditional bodega – stone floors, plants trailing from the ceiling and wine barrels lining the walls. The bustling bar is often packed in the evenings, in which case you should shoulder your way through the throng and hole up in the back room.
The place starts to fill up around 10pm, so if you want to be sure of bagging a table, arrive before then. The menu here is pretty extensive, but two dishes really stand out: salmorejo con jamon y huevo picado (a chilled soup made with bread, garlic and tomato, served with chopped ham and egg) and gambas pil pil (fresh prawns cooked with garlic and chilli, served still sizzling in an earthenware dish).
Finally, move on to Plaza de La Merced, where you’ll find a number of bars and restaurants. In June, the jacaranda trees that line the square are in full bloom, putting out beautiful blue flowers and filling the air with their heady scent. Sample Lechuga’s (1 Plaza de La Merced, tel. ) tapas verde (vegetable tapas). Take a deep breath and order hojaldre rellenos de queso de cabra y verduras salteados bañado en miel de caña – puff pastry stuffed with goat’s cheese and salted vegetables topped off with a honey glaze – a suitably soothing end to an exhaustive evening’s eating.
The best of the rest
Try these other regional tapas
Bilbao
Known as pintxos or pinchos, Basque tapas takes its name from the toothpick used to skewer the topping (anything from anchovies to tortilla) to the small piece of bread on which it’s served. Try Café Iruña’s (Jardines de Albia, tel. ) serranito – a sandwich of grilled Iberian bacon – best enjoyed with a glass of robust Rioja on the side.
Madrid
For classic Madrileño tapas, head straight to El Madroño (7 Plaza Puerta Cerrada, tel. ). Try un revuelto, a local speciality made with eggs, bacon, potatoes and onion, orejas (fried pig’s ear) or patatas bravas – small pieces of fried potato served with a spicy sauce.
Barcelona
Catalan tapas tends to be gutsy and strong-flavoured – dishes like pig’s ears in paprika or chorizo in cider. Try montadito de morcilla (black pudding served on bread) at Ciudad Condal (18 Rambla de Catalunya, tel. ).
Palma de Mallorca
Pa’amb oli – bread topped with tomato and drizzled with olive oil – is a Mallorcan favourite. Try it at Sa Taverna (12 Carrer Pou, tel. ). The reverse, bread rubbed with oil then topped with tomato, is popular in Catalonia.
FR Sur la route des Tapas de Malaga
Ancrée dans la culture espagnole au même titre que le flamenco, la tradition des tapas remonte à des centaines d’années. Tout le monde ne s’accorde pas sur la question de ses origines, mais l’idée la plus répandue veut qu’elle soit issue d’Andalousie.
Tout comme chaque région en Espagne affiche son propre héritage culinaire, chacune aussi a ses propres styles de tapas. En Andalousie, les tapas portent la marque indélébile de l’occupation maure – donc beaucoup d’épices, d’amandes et d’olives. On trouve aussi des spécificités régionales dans la façon dont les tapas sont servies – dans certaines parties de l’Andalousie, vous recevrez une tapa offerte avec votre verre.
Le meilleur lieu pour savourer les tapas dans l’esprit andalou sont les rues sinueuses de Malaga – le long de cette zone côtière, le poisson et les fruits de mer sont merveilleusement frais. Une bonne façon de découvrir la cuisine malagaise est de manger à l’espagnole – en passant de bars en bars et en essayant un type de tapa dans chacun d’entre eux.
Les berenjenas con miel (aubergines légèrement frites dans le miel) chez Rincón Chinitas (4 Pasaje de Chinitas, tél. ) représentent un must. Non loin, le Café Central (11 Plaza de la Costitución, tél. ) prépare un excellent pulpo frito – du poulpe passé à la friture servi avec du sel et du vinaigre.
Le long de la Calle Granada, l’animé El Pimpi (62 Calle Granada, tél. ) est un des endroits favoris d’Antonio Banderas et de Pedro Almodóvar. Essayez leurs gambas pil pil (des gambas fraîches cuites avec de l’ail et du pili-pili, servies dans un plat en terre cuite).
Enfin, dirigez-vous jusqu’à la Plaza de La Merced, où le Lechuga (1 Plaza de La Merced, tél. ) propose de superbes tapas verdi (tapas aux légumes). Reprenez votre respiration et commandez des hojaldre rellenos de queso de cabra y verduras salteados bañado en miel de caña – une pâte brisée fourrée au fromage de chèvre et aux légumes salés, garnie d’un glaçage au miel.
NL De tapasroute van Malaga
De tapastraditie is honderden jaren oud. Net als de flamenco is ze onlosmakelijk verbonden met de Spaanse cultuur. Waar het gebruik oorspronkelijk vandaan komt, is een onderwerp van discussie. Maar algemeen wordt aangenomen dat zijn wortels in Andalusië liggen.
Net zoals elke streek in Spanje haar eigen culinaire accent heeft, heeft ze ook haar eigen tapasstijl. De Andalusische tapas dragen de onuitwisbare stempel van de Moorse bezetting en bevatten dus veel specerijen, amandelen en olijven. Maar er zijn ook streekgebonden manieren om tapas te serveren. Zo krijg je in sommige delen van Andalusië een gratis tapa bij elke drank.
Nergens kun je zo van Andalusische tapas genieten als in de kronkelende straatjes van Malaga. De zeevruchten van deze kuststad zijn dan ook heerlijk vers. De beste manier om van de keuken van Malaga te proeven, is op zijn Spaans: je trekt van bar naar bar en probeert overal een andere tapa uit.
De berenjenas con miel (gebakken aubergines in honing) van Rincón Chinitas (Pasaje de Chinitas 4, ) zijn een absolute must. Vlakbij serveert Café Central (Plaza de la Costitución 11, tel. ) uitstekende pulpo frito – gefrituurde inktvis met zout en azijn.
In de Calle Granada ligt het drukke El Pimpi (Calle Granada 62, tel. ), de lieveling van Antonio Banderas en Pedro Almodóvar. Proef hier zeker de gambas pil pil (verse garnalen, gebakken met look en Spaanse peper en opgediend in een aardewerken schotel).
Zak tot slot af naar Plaza de La Merced, waar Lechuga (Plaza de La Merced 1, tel.
94) heerlijke tapas verdi (groentetapas) op tafel tovert. Haal diep adem en bestel hojaldre rellenos de queso de cabra y verduras salteados bañado en miel de caña, oftewel bladerdeeg gevuld met geitenkaas en gezouten groenten, en afgewerkt met honingglazuur.
Leave a Reply